Giving Back, Not Giving Up

I've been celebrating Lent since I was a little girl, and it's truly one of my favorite traditions in the Catholic Church.  It's all about sacrifice and self-reflection and it ends in the beautiful celebration of Easter.  Each person is encouraged to give up something that they love until Easter, as a symbol of the sacrifice that can lead to spiritual fulfilment.  For the past 20 or so years, I've given up things like pizza, potato chips, bread, candy, cursing ... and now it's all feeling a bit hypocritical.  Because who really benefits from all of that, except me???  This year, my Lenten observation is going to experience a coming-of-age.  Every day, I will put aside money that would've otherwise gone to a soy latte, (ANOTHER!) lipgloss, an extra color of the same shirt ... you get the gist ... and on Easter, I'm handing that money over to the Shelter.  I've been soliciting donations and sponsorships from people I know and places I frequent, but never asked myself.  So there you go.  My Lenten promise is not to give up something, but to give back.  Now it's in writing!  And you're all my witnesses!